


Danger in Fiction

by I_Cant_Write



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Fluffy Ending, Happy Ending, M/M, Polyamory, Roman needs to get his head out of the clouds, Some swearing so watch out kiddos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 13:36:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14770613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Cant_Write/pseuds/I_Cant_Write
Summary: "It does not do well to dwell on dreams, and forget to live."  - Albus DumbledoreOr, in which Roman Sanders has his headup his assin the clouds and can't find his way back.





	1. Where it All Went Wrong

**Author's Note:**

> It's time for another LAMP fic! Not sure about this one, haaaa...
> 
> In which Roman is avoidant, Patton is sad, Logan is angry, and Virgil puts the "fight" in "fight or flight"
> 
> Hope you guys like this one!
> 
> (Based on the dialogue from Logan:
> 
>  _“Why put so much importance on fiction, when the world is already as wonderful as it is? Why do you have to keep making things up, or dreaming about what could be, rather than appreciating what you have here and now?”_ )

“Hey, Roman?” 

Logan leans forward, popping his head into Roman’s room. 

Roman sighs, stepping closer and pulling Logan in close by the waist, “My dear Logan,” he murmurs as he kisses his nose, “What do you need?”

Logan seems to melt in his arms a little, and murmurs, “Patton, Virgil, and I were going to play a game together. It’s been a long time. Want to join us?”

Roman glances back toward the portal. Now was really not a good time.

“Oh, Lo, I would love to,” he smiles, pulling away, “But I’m going on a quest right now, and it just can’t wait.”

Logan’s face falls, and Roman feels his heart sink into his stomach.

“Oh,” Logan sighs, and stares at his shoes, “Well, uh, good luck.”

“But!” Roman kisses his head, grabbing his bag, “I should be back in only a few hours, and then I will happily join you three in whatever you’re doing.”

Logan’s face lights up a little, “Alright. Be safe.”

Roman waves and steps through the door, as Logan heads back to the Commons.

“Is he coming?” Virgil asks.

Logan shakes his head, and sighs, “He…has a quest to go on. He said he would join us later.”

The room sank into a tense silence.

After a moment, Logan started to open the box, and Patton sat down in the circle.

“Okay, so,” Logan looks at the instructions, “It says we have to write—“

“Who are we kidding?” Virgil mumbles, standing, “Roman likes playing games the best. It’s no use without him.”

Virgil drags himself up to his room, obviously dejected.

“I’ve got it,” Patton whispers, following him up the steps.

Patton hears the door slam, and creeps closer, leaning forward and tapping lightly on Virgil’s door.

“Virgil?” Patton clears his throat, “Hey, kiddo? Would you want to watch a movie instead? I’d…” he bites his lip, “I’d hate to lose two of us tonight.”

A pause. The door swings open slowly with a creak to reveal a crestfallen Virgil.

“Yeah, I guess,” Virgil sweeps the hair out of his eyes, “…A movie would be good, actually.”

Virgil takes Patton’s hand, and they both head back down the steps.

“We’re going to watch a movie, instead,” Patton explains, grinning, “You two pick one, and I’ll make popcorn.”

They eventually decided on Avengers, since Disney seemed too close to home to watch tonight.

The three of them curl up under the same blanket, popcorn bowl between them.

The movie is exciting, but Virgil sees Logan’s eye drift over to Roman’s door several times.

“Logan,” Virgil whispers, “He’s not coming.”

“He will,” Logan nods, “He said it would only take a couple of hours. I'm going to wait until he comes back.”

There was an obvious anxiety in his voice, as if he wasn't sure if Roman _would_ come back.

A soft, sad silence fills the room.

“Then...we’ll wait, too. Until he comes.” Virgil pipes up.

So they grab pillows from their rooms. Patton snags his old Lion King blanket. They curl up and wait together, wrapped in each other's arms.

Virgil dozes within the first hour, and Patton is sound asleep by 2 am.

Logan keeps watching, waiting.

_He said he would come tonight._

But when Roman bursts through the door, daylight is streaming through the curtains.  
_______________________________________________________________________________

“Roman,” Patton grins, bouncing up and down, “Excited for tonight?”

“Tonight?” Roman’s face is blank, “Ah, yes. Tonight. Which is the night. Of the Thing.”

Patton smirks a little, not minding, “Remember? Logan and Virgil are gone tonight, and we were going to watch a little Disney, and…” Patton shifts, his face turning pink, “…’cuddle’…”

“Oh, Pat,” Roman sighs, “Here’s the thing, I…I have to go do something. It really can’t wait. I have to create it in DreamLand, I’ll…try to be back in time.”

“Oh,” Patton feels his heart stick in his throat, “Yes, alright.”

“Great!” Roman kisses him, cupping his face, “I’ll be back soon, my darling.”

Be back soon. How many times has Roman said that and not meant it?

Patton doesn’t watch Roman step through the Portal. His breathing is coming in gasps. Nausea grips his stomach as he steps into the Commons.

It’s dark, and quiet.

The candles on the table seem lonely and bleak now, as does the dinner sitting between them. 

He blows them out, and grabs a tupperware from the cabinet, starting to pack away the food.

His hands are shaking, he realizes.

Roman promised, and he…was so ready to believe him.

Since when has Roman kept a promise? Even after everything Patton has done for him?

He felt…is "betrayed" the word? Logan would know.

All of his work and effort and love and affection and _feelings_ just…gone to waste. Like this pasta.

“Okay, Patton, we’re going to…” Logan stops, “Patton? Why…?”

Patton covers his eyes, and he feels a sob wrack his body before he can stop it, “I’m so _stupid_. I was so _stupid_ to think he would want to—“

“Oh, Patton, no…” Before he knew it, Logan and Virgil are squeezing him, tightly, “It’s okay, Pat, it’s alright, you can just come with us, it’s no big deal.”

“I-I…” he hides his face, “…m…made all this food, and—“

“Hey, have you guys seen—“ Roman stops in his tracks when he sees the three of them, “My…sword?” he shakes his head, “What’s going on?”

Virgil storms up to him, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and shoving him against the wall, “You better explain to me _right now_ as to why you were headed on a quest and blowing off your date!” Virgil shakes his head, disgusted, “You are being such a piece of _shit_ lately. We want to spend time with you, and you blow us off. Patton makes a nice candlelit dinner for you, makes all this food, and you just…” 

Virgil is furious, and Logan separates from Patton.

“Why?” Logan squints his eyes, “Why do you keep spending so much time in fiction, when we are all here, waiting for you? Why do you keep leaving us to go wander off in your head?”

“I…have to,” Roman whispers, staring at his feet, mumbling, “I-I have things to work on every week for the videos. I have things to do, and I’m sorry that—“

“You couldn’t spend one night,” Logan steps toward him, hostile, “One night. A few hours, at most. Just…to spend time with us?” Logan swallows.

“I can’t stop,” Roman shakes his head, “I can’t take breaks until it’s done.”

“It’s never. Done.” Logan’s eyes tear through Roman like nothing ever has, “It’s never done with you. Why is it so important, hmm? Why do you have to keep making things up when it’s already perfect as it is?!”

“Because I can’t let him down, Logan,” Roman clenches his fist, “If it’s not perfect, it’s not done. And it has to be done. I can’t…” Roman’s voice drops, “I can’t let him down.”

“Right,” Logan shakes his head, “So you can let _him_ down, instead,” he gestures to Patton, “Let us down.”

“Patton, I’m sorry,” Roman drops his bag, holding out his arms in a plea, “I-I’ll spend date night with you.”

“No, these two are right,” Patton sighs, wiping his eyes.

“And I, for one,” Logan shakes his head, “Am not going to put up with it anymore.”

Roman glances around at his boyfriends, staring at their angry, hurt faces.

“What…what is this?”

“An ultimatum, Ro,” Virgil clenches his jaw, “You stop spending time in Dreamland, or you stop spending time with us. We’re tired of this.”

Roman turns, “Pat…”

Patton sniffs, and shakes his head, whispering, “I did all of this, for you, we do all of this for you, and you just blow it off to head into a world that’s not even real.”

“So you spend time in reality, or feel free to spend all your time in Dreamland, because there will be no reason for you to come back,” Virgil spits out at him, and storms off to his room.

“Logan,” Roman turns to him, desperate to have someone on his side, but Logan shakes his head, putting Patton’s food away.

“You really hurt him, Roman,” Logan whispers, “He was in here, sobbing over this,” he shakes his head again, “If you’re looking for forgiveness, you’re not going to find it here.”

And Roman is left in the Commons alone.


	2. ...And How He Fixed It

Logan hears a clanging in the kitchen.

He stumbles down the steps to see a gold-and-white clad Prince, humming as he busies himself around the kitchen.

“Roman?” Logan asks him groggily, “What’re you doing up so early?”

“Making breakfast!” Roman says a little too quickly, “But, uh, I’m waiting for the others before I serve it.”

“We’re here,” Virgil appears at the coffee maker, pouring himself a mug.

Patton stays off to the side, wringing his hands.

Roman clears his throat, “I…made eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and hash browns. I thought…well, I thought…” he flushes, “I thought we might eat together. As an apology for last night. One of many that you all deserve.”

Roman dishes out the pancakes onto three plates, where he has so dramatically written, “I’m sorry” in the middle with whipped cream. Always the one to be extra.

Logan eyes the pancakes warily, but smiles a little at the message, and sits down at the breakfast bar.

“I know it’s not enough,” he says, shifting, “But I was hoping…it might be a peace offering. To show you that I’m willing to try and be better, to make this work.”

He looks directly at Virgil, and then Patton, “If…you are.”

Virgil cautiously reaches for a plate, “…thanks for the pancakes, Roman.”

Roman takes that as an acceptance of his apology, and nods, “Anytime.”

But Patton is turning to leave.

“Wait,” Roman catches his elbow, “Wait, Pat, let’s talk.”

“No, Roman, I—“

Roman turns Patton’s body toward him, “I messed up, okay?” he runs his hand from Patton’s elbow down to clasp his hand, “Big time. I really did wrong by you. And…I’m trying to make it right. How can I make it right?”

Patton pulls his hand away.

“Please,” Roman whispers, “I don’t want to lose this. Please.”

“You should have thought of that earlier,” Patton whimpers.

But he’s not walking away anymore.

“Please let me fix it,” Roman croaks, and realizes that his face is wet, “I want to fix it.”

Patton turns toward him, and Roman wraps him in a hug, tight and warm.

Patton jerks back, gasping, but doesn’t push away, and wraps his arms around Roman’s shoulders.

“It’s…been so long,” Patton whispers, “Since…you’ve held me like this.”

“How long?” Roman asks, just interested to see if he remembered.

“Four weeks and five days,” Patton buries his head in his shoulder.

Roman hugs him a little bit tighter, feeling guilty about that number.

“Tell you what,” Roman whispers, “This week, I’ll make dinner for you, and…” he starts swaying his body, “We can put on some music, and dance a little…”

“Roman, you know I don’t like dancing…” But Patton’s voice is light and tinted with emotion.

“Sure you do,” Roman smirks, “You just don’t like to admit it.”

He spins Patton, and Patton’s face is bright. He wraps a hand around his waist, and raises the other, “Sound ok? Just a night for the two of us?”

Patton nods, and plants his face into Roman’s shoulder.

“I love you,” Roman whispers.

Patton jolts back, but Roman raise a hand.

“You don’t have to say it back,” Roman shakes his head, “I know you’re still mad at me, and you have every right to be. But I want you to know that…” he bites his lip, “I…really love you, Patton.”

He turns to the group, who is watching them adoringly, “All of you. I love and adore all of you, and I never wanted to hurt you. Logan,” Roman turns toward him, “How about a game night tonight? To make up for the one I missed.”

“Oh, you didn’t really miss it,” Logan sighs, “We…didn’t really want to do it without you.”

“I’m…” Roman stares at his shoes, “I’m sorry to hear that you all didn’t have fun without me.”

“Are you really?” Virgil smirks, “You always want us to miss you.”

“Do you?” Roman clears his throat, flushing, “…always miss me?”

Logan shakes his head, “It’s too early into recovery for you to be fishing for compliments.”

Roman smirks, not offended, “Very well. A game night tonight, and a date night…?” he looks at Patton.

Patton bites his lip, “…tomorrow?”

Roman pulls him in by the waist, “Tomorrow it is.”

He reaches out and pulls a reluctant Virgil and Logan into his grasp as well, kissing both of them before turning back to Patton.

...Who’s looking at him as if he has the sun and the stars in his eyes.

They eat breakfast on the sofa, all sat around each other, Patton leaning on his shoulder.

He glances around at all the beautiful faces of his boyfriends, and realizes he should have been spending more time with them after all.

Because that’s where he was happiest.


End file.
